Growing up in Florida and originally wanting to major in Marine biology; I'm the guy who can usually name and rattle off specific information on the majority of species found at Aquariums or while kayak fishing. Rarely have I found a book that captured my attention and interest like “A field Guide to Coastal Fishes – from Maine to Texas”.

“A field Guide to Coastal Fishes – from Maine to Texas” in a nutshell is the perfect companion to even the most seasoned kayak fisherman! The overall layout is extremely well organized, enabling the angler to parse through the various fish classifications quickly.

The illustrations by Val Kells are vivid and extremely detailed, allowing the kayak angler to quickly recognize small variations between fish species of the same family.

“A field Guide to Coastal Fishes – from Maine to Texas” also does a good job listing the commonly known names of fish. Example: Lutjanus griseus or Grey Snapper as referred to in this book also mentions the commonly known name as a Mangrove Snapper. My only issue is the commonly known names are not listed in the index making a it a little harder to reference a fish if you only know its common name.

This field guide can truly be used as that, out in the field. This book will hold to typical uses while out on the water. Its pages are water resistant “the water actually beads on the pages and can easily be wiped off”. Final thoughts… You would be hard pressed to find a more comprehensive, beautifully illustrated, and well organized book than “A field Guide to Coastal Fishes – from Maine to Texas” and I highly recommend it for anyone interested in marine life.